Pacifism

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pacifism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core tenet?Moral and strategic opposition to all forms of war and violence
2. What is the historical influence?Key role in independence movements (India) and civil rights struggles (USA)
3. Why do people choose pacifism?People choose pacifism because they think violence hurts everyone and that peace keeps people safe and happy. They want to protect life and help others without fighting.
4. How did Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. use pacifism?Gandhi used nonviolent protests, like marches and peaceful resistance, to help India become independent. Martin Luther King Jr. used similar peaceful actions to end unfair rules in the United States.

Conscientious Objection: The moral or religious opposition to participation in war or military service.
Nonviolent Intervention: Direct actions designed to disrupt or prevent violent or oppressive activities without using force.
Moral Imperative: A principle or motivation that compels an individual or group to act in a certain way based on ethical beliefs.